Monday, February 13, 2012

Personal Development Plans, Do They Work?

Most of us have personal development plans regarding our careers, relationships and self improvement but many of us lose sight of our aspirations as a result of us getting caught up in the daily trappings of everyday life.

We all have infinite potential but few of us make the most of what we have got. We are given a formal education at school that equips us with all that we need to get a job, but it is what we learn after school that determines whether our personal development plans will come into fruition.

Many people are stuck in a rut, working in a job that they hate and living a life that is far from the one that they dreamed of. However, sadly most will continue to stay in the rat race, too afraid to be bold and make the changes that they need to create a better life for themselves. One thing is certain, things can only change for you when YOU want to change, but where do you start?

Mindset

Mindset plays a huge part in changing your life for the better. Most of us have been programmed for failure, either from our school days or from wrongly believing that success is only for a certain type of person. However any person can be successful if they adopt a positive mindset and believe in themselves.

The first step is to write down your goals. Once you have written them down the brain is then more aware of them and you will then actively do whatever it takes to achieve those goals. Make a list of short term goals and long time goals and you will be amazed how great it will feel when you eventually fulfil your dreams and goals.

Build Good Relationships

In order to be successful with your personal development plan it is important to surround yourself with good, influential people ... people who are successful and have a positive attitude to life. You will then learn valuable advice from them as to how to succeed in life. You can then share this knowledge with others.

Be careful to also invest time and effort into these relationships as it is all too easy to keep focusing on the urgent things (namely making money) rather than the important things (family, friends and your own well being).

Self Education

In order to improve your life it is crucial to self educate. This can be achieved by reading self development books, learning from other successful individuals and also by learning from mistakes that you have made along the way.

There are numerous self development courses available too that can teach you how to create a better lifestyle.

After all formal education teaches what you need to get a job but self education is what will help to you to make you a fortune. Self education is paramount to your personal growth.

If you work for others you will only ever earn a wage and that wage will always be capped to what an employer thinks that you are worth. Whereas if you work for yourself, you will reap the profits for yourself and not your employer. You will also create a better life for yourself in the process.

All in all we all have the ability to design our own lives rather than allowing others to design our lives for us. All that is needed is a good self development plan consisting of adopting the right mindset, investing in good relationships, stepping out of our comfort zones and educating ourselves on the best ways to make money and keep the profits for ourselves rather than others.

To be successful in your quest you will need to have strong self motivation and to be able to find the best opportunity to start your own business and build up your own empire.

After all we only live once so why not make the most of our abilities rather than having the pain of regret on our deathbeds for what might have been. However you will need to take the necessary steps to make it happen.

My name is Roy Derrick and I have over 20 years experience in running my own business. Over the years I have set up several successful businesses including a chain of retail stores and a construction company.

My wife and I currently run a home based business that offers individuals easy ways to make money online, working from home. This business, unlike my previous bricks and mortar businesses, provides us with the work/life balance that we have previously strived for, allowing us to spend valuable quality time with our children.